Roy Keane always had a reputation for not putting up with any funny business and expecting his team-mates to behave in a professional manner.

During his management days at Sunderland, Keane reminisces about trying to sign former Leicester midfielder Robbie Savage from Blackburn:

“I rang Mark Hughes. Robbie [Savage] wasn’t in the Blackburn team and I asked Mark if we could try to arrange a deal. Hughes said: ‘Yeah, yeah, he’s lost his way here but he could still do a job for you.’ Robbie’s legs were going a bit but I thought he might come up to us [at Sunderland], with his long hair, and give us a lift – the way Yorkie [Dwight Yorke] had, a big personality in the dressing room.

“Mark gave me permission to give him a call. So I got Robbie’s mobile number and rang him. It went to his voicemail: ‘Hi, it’s Robbie – whazzup!’ like the Budweiser ad. I never called him back. I thought I can’t be f****** signing that”

Pure gold.

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